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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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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: court · plane · pound · stem · spring · mine · safe · can

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — to be able to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spring — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. court — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — of a king

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