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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mug — a cup
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — after costs
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chair — a leader
  22. net — for catching
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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