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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tube — the underground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pop — to visit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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