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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rock — a stone
  3. club — for golf
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — a trace
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — a group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. club — for dancing
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wound — an injury

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