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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chest — of your body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mark — a grade
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — a thing
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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