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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: plane · march · bear · kid · racket · rock · coach · ruler

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. march — music

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