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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: ball · game · plane · cap · hand · deal · rest · prune

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hand — help
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. cap — of ice

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