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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: kid · racket · roll · prune · bear · plane · pitch · date

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — the fruit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. roll — a list
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. date — on the calendar

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