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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.

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: game · last · bay · object · deal · rock · plane · prune

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — to go on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. object — a thing
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. prune — to trim

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