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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.

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: game · prune · land · racket · date · can · plane · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. land — a country
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. can — to be able to
  13. date — the fruit
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — a tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. land — ground
  19. game — a match
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — to come down
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — a loud noise

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