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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — all right
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lean — to bend
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fine — a penalty

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