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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. swing — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — clever
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — all right
  15. bass — the fish
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — the cause
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stem — to come from
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bass — the instrument

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