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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · foot · chest · racket · prune · present · spell · bear

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — a measure
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chest — a box
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — to visit
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. present — there
  11. pop — soda
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — the time now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — to trim

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