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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hand — help
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — in cards
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. staff — employees
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — a stick
  24. can — a tin

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