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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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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: jam · staff · kid · mate · club · stem · plane · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a partner
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. club — for dancing
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — child
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kid — to tease
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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