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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · squash · snap · club · fine · prune · bulb · plane

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a great time
  4. club — a group
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ball — a round shape

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