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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. board — to get on
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a music group
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — a committee
  24. jam — a tight spot

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