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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — help
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — in cards
  21. squash — to crush
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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