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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. present — there
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rock — music
  6. pop — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kid — child
  19. present — the time now
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — a gift
  23. kid — to tease
  24. content — happy

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