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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.

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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: kick · plane · pitcher · present · mark · tear · foot · pop

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kick — in football
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. present — there
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. present — a gift
  24. foot — the bottom

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