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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. object — an aim
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. object — to protest
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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