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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: stem · can · pop · court · leaves · kid · plane · bank

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — soda
  7. can — to be able to
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. court — of a king
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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