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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: hide · prune · key · kick · chest · fork · foot · pitcher

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — in football
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — a measure
  21. key — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chest — a box

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