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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: suit · sharp · coach · arm · content · prune · bat · dip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — to sink
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — clever
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. suit — clothes

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