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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · saw · band · plane · key · bear · capital · pitcher

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. band — a music group
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — a city

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