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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 116 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: pit · plane · pound · squash · bear · capital · bowl · stem

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pit — a hole
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. squash — the vegetable

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