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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spring — the season
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stock — goods
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ball — a dance
  22. race — humankind
  23. spring — a coil
  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