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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 116 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: ball · land · stem · plane · bear · key · firm · capital

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ball — a dance
  3. land — a country
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. firm — a company
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — to come from

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