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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 116 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: rule · fall · pound · prune · bass · plane · stock · ball

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rule — a law
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — shares
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rule — government
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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