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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. plane — a tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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