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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pop — music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — of water
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. current — electric
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — happening now

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