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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · leaves · plane · bear · bowl · court · foot · prune

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. court — of a king
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — for sport
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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