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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 120 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: stand · stem · plane · pit · deal · kick · mouse · chest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chest — a box
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kick — in football
  24. pit — a hole

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