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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: foot · hand · fine · bowl · kick · prune · branch · fan

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. kick — in football
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — a division
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hand — help
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kick — a thrill
  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