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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — to get on
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — all right
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a committee
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a friend

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