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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bowl · stem · racket · wave · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. stem — to come from
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stem — a stem cell

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