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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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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: chest · present · kick · racket · bay · firm · prune · pop

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. present — a gift
  9. pop — to visit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — steady
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chest — a box
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — there
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. firm — decided
  24. racket — a loud noise

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