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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — a division
  24. pit — in a race

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