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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — a container
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tube — the underground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — the season
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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