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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — for sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. clip — to cut
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — of a king
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. clip — a video
  19. court — of law
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bank — for money

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