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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. clip — a video
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bat — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — boats
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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