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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. field — farmland
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — to shout
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. field — a subject
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mark — a grade
  19. field — for sport
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cell — in a prison

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