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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — magic
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. clip — a video
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — the fruit

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