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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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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: kid · stand · plane · root · pit · swing · mine · trunk

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. plane — a tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. swing — in golf
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. swing — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. root — the cause
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — child
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mine — an explosive

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