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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 116 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: court · plane · bowl · mouse · spell · bank · object · prune

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — for sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — letters
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — to protest
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — a tool

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