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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — decided
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — a company
  15. game — a match
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kid — child

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