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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. roll — a list
  19. present — there
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a cake
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — for light

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