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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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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. plane — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bound — obliged
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. bat — the animal

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