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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · chair · net · toast · hide · ground · rock · prune

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — a position
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — after costs
  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