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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. suit — to fit
  10. board — a committee
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. content — the amount
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. game — wild animals
  22. content — happy
  23. game — a match
  24. racket — for tennis

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