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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — a box
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — size or range
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chest — of your body

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