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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — a company
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — a committee

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