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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — the arms race
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cell — in biology
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — a contest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. race — humankind

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