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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — a safe
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stem — to come from
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — to come down
  21. bound — certain
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — to keep track
  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