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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 · bass · ball · plane · cell · foot · land · trunk

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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. cell — in a prison
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a dance
  10. land — to come down
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — a phone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — low music
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ball — a great time
  24. plane — in geometry

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