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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. board — to get on
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. court — of law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a line
  13. stem — to come from
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. press — a publisher
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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