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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. land — to come down
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — in a road
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tube — a container

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