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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · racket · pop · spring · stem · plane · clip · club

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pop — soda
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. clip — a video
  20. stand — to bear
  21. clip — for paper
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — the season
  24. clip — to cut

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