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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: staff · rule · foot · cold · pop · prune · pit · craft

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — boats
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pit — a hole
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pop — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. craft — a skill
  13. staff — employees
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — soda
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rule — government
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — a law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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