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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cap — a hat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cap — a lid
  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