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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.

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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: toast · prune · net · object · ground · cabinet · last · plane

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. object — to protest
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — a tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. object — an aim

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