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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — a measure
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stem — to come from
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — of the year

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