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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: bound · land · foot · object · nail · prune · pit · pitcher

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — to protest
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. land — a country
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — a thing
  15. land — to come down
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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