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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — to come from
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — there
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. sharp — exactly

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