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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. land — a country
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — to come down
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — to shout
  14. land — ground
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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