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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: toast · object · foot · saw · rock · prune · chip · net

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rock — a stone
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. toast — bread
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — in sport

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