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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: prune · kid · chest · foot · chip · coach · rash · date

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — child
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — a measure
  7. date — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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