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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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 — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tear — to rip
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — happy
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — to keep track
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. track — a path
  22. plane — a tool
  23. prune — to trim
  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