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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — after costs
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. craft — a skill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. net — for catching

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