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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: pit · prune · last · wave · firm · plane · pop · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — decided
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — a tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — steady
  13. last — final
  14. pop — music
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — a group

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