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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · mate · march · stem · chest · plane · ground · key

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — for a lock
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — a partner
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — the month
  15. ground — the earth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — in music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — a box
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chest — of your body

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