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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — a skill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. game — a match
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mine — belonging to me

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