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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.

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: pop · coach · mark · bear · cell · present · ground · plane

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — music
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pop — soda
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — the time now
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ground — the earth

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