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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: plane · root · mate · can · bear · stem · racket · bat

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mate — a friend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. root — of a plant
  20. plane — a tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — the cause

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