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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — a country
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — a break
  9. land — to come down
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. land — ground
  17. current — electric
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chair — a leader
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — happening now

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