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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: prune · foot · march · cue · net · kid · plane · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. net — for catching
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. net — in sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — the month
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. can — a tin
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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