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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: prune · rash · bear · fan · firm · sharp · foot · pitcher

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — a measure

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