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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: firm · root · ball · plane · suit · row · pit · tear

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — a hole
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ball — a dance
  8. firm — steady
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — a company
  11. suit — to fit
  12. root — the cause
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ball — a great time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. root — of a word
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. root — of a plant
  24. firm — decided

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