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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: prune · court · nail · last · foot · cap · kick · saw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — a hat
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kick — in football
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — of a king
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. court — for sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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