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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · ground · pitcher · mug · roll · plane · stem · clip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stem — to come from
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a face
  9. clip — a video
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. roll — a cake
  21. clip — to cut
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. plane — an aircraft

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