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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — newspapers
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. press — a publisher
  23. march — the month
  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