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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. march — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ground — a position

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