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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — a position
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — in music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cabinet — ministers

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