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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a committee
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — letters
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ball — a round shape

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