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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pound — a weight
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. plane — a tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitch — completely
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. present — there
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. present — the time now
  22. drill — army training
  23. root — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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