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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. firm — decided
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — steady
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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