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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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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: race · bay · stem · plane · pitcher · pound · prune · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. race — humankind
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. craft — boats
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. plane — a tool

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