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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: bound · plane · date · bowl · stem · game · season · pass

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — obliged
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pass — a permit
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a match
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bound — certain
  24. bowl — to roll

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