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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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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: jam · pound · plane · bat · pit · kick · cell · root

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. root — the cause
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pound — a weight
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. root — of a word
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. jam — a tight spot

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