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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pound — a weight
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — to bear
  14. shower — rain
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stem — of a plant

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