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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — to get on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — a container
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stem — of a plant

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