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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mate — to breed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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