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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: bark · jam · stick · foot · plane · cell · net · stand

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cell — a phone
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. net — after costs
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — in sport
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. foot — part of the 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