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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: plane · bore · craft · rest · squash · prune · ground · court

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — of law
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — boats
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. court — for sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — crushed

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