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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.

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: tear · net · tube · scale · plane · date · stem · foot

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — in sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tube — a container
  12. tear — to rip
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — in music
  15. net — for catching
  16. date — the fruit
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stem — to come from
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — a tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tear — from crying
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tear — from crying

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