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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 120 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: chair · net · deal · perch · stick · bulb · prune · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. deal — to handle

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