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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. content — happy
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — the amount

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