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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 · bowl · staff · stick · track · prune · cue · stand

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — a tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bowl — a dish

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