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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 · arm · wind · stem · root · racket · ball · pop

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — the cause
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — soda
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. plane — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a word
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stem — to come from
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wind — moving air

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