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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pop — soda
  5. roll — a list
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  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