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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 · cue · net · foot · fork · ground · pit · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. roll — a list
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — for pool
  9. net — after costs
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. net — for catching
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ground — a position
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fork — in a road
  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