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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 120 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: plane · vault · last · calf · land · court · prune · racket

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. land — to come down
  3. court — of a king
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of law
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. land — a country
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. plane — a tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. plane — in geometry

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