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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. court — of a king
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of law
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — to breed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — for tennis

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