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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — of a river
  13. net — for catching
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — for money

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