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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — a path
  7. pop — music
  8. track — a song
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pop — to visit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. plane — an aircraft

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