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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — a gift
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — a tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bat — the animal
  24. roll — a list

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