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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — a division
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lean — thin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bass — low music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — a measure
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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