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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: present · court · plane · prune · rush · fork · deal · sharp

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — there
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — for sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — the time now
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of law
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. present — a gift

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