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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. present — there
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — for sport
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — a gift
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. court — of a king
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — of law
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — a trainer

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