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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pop — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — in cards
  8. capital — a city
  9. root — the cause
  10. pop — soda
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. capital — money
  13. roll — a cake
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. roll — a list
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. root — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pop — to visit

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