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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · prune · cap · present · racket · foot · last · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. roll — a list
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — final
  6. fine — all right
  7. last — to go on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. last — finally
  18. present — there
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a lid
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com