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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — a thing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. court — for sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. court — of a king
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bowl — a dish

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