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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — army training
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — to protest
  9. pit — in a race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — a thing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a ring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — an aim
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pit — a hole
  21. charge — electricity
  22. drill — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. band — a music group

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