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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: deal · bass · plane · vault · file · ground · racket · prune

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a document
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a line of people
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — the earth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. file — a tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. vault — a safe
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — for tennis

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