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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.

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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: pit · prune · plane · bass · foot · wound · bay · ground

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — a position
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — the fish
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ground — crushed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — in geometry

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