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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · foot · object · band · plane · prune · rule · racket

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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 — to protest
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — a thing
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. foot — a measure
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — soda
  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