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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — a thing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — in cards
  7. game — a match
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stem — to come from
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. object — an aim
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — a tool

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