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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cell — in biology
  5. board — to get on
  6. drill — army training
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — a leader
  12. drill — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — a phone
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stem — to come from

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