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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wound — an injury
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. capital — a city
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — to get on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cell — in biology
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. capital — money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bear — to put up with

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