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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. land — a country
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kick — in football
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — ground
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — help
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. track — a song
  22. bass — low music
  23. bear — to put up with
  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