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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: prune · wake · pound · bat · object · march · plane · pitcher

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — a weight
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — an aim
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. march — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — an aircraft

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