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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: date · mine · ruler · bass · vault · plane · pitch · stem

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — low music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — a tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. date — on the calendar

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