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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
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: plane · track · pitcher · content · pit · land · lash · prune

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — a hole
  7. content — happy
  8. track — a song
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — the amount
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — ground
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. land — a country
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — an eyelash

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