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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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Word bank
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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: land · racket · bowl · court · pass · row · stem · bore

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. land — to come down
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bore — to drill
  8. land — a country
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of a king
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. court — of law
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. row — a line
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — ground

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