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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: spell · plane · bass · roll · stand · cap · mate · key

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cap — a lid
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bass — low music
  8. roll — a list
  9. cap — of ice
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — the most important part
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spell — letters
  20. bass — the fish
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mate — a partner

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