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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.

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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. band — a music group
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a ring
  24. net — for catching

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