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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. perch — for a bird

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