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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — ground
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. land — to come down
  10. craft — boats
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. present — there
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. squash — the sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. plane — a tool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — an aircraft

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