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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 · spell · plane · band · stem · fork · racket · bear

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — steady
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spell — letters
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — decided
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. band — a ring
  22. spell — magic
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — a short time

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