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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — to visit
  4. scale — size or range
  5. field — for sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — bread
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. pop — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bass — low music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — in geometry

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