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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: lean · plane · roll · stem · march · cabinet · pop · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pop — soda
  10. march — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stem — to come from
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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