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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: prune · season · bulb · deal · plane · object · dip · capital

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. object — an aim
  5. capital — money
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. season — of the year
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. plane — a tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — a thing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. object — to protest
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. deal — to handle
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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