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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: bay · root · plane · band · stock · bat · squash · mate

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mate — to breed
  4. band — a ring
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — the cause
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — of a word
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stock — goods
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — the sport

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