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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · rock · pitcher · plane · row · squash · prune · calf

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rock — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rock — a stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. tube — the underground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a line

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