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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: present · stand · stem · cabinet · season · racket · pitcher · fork

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — of the year
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. present — a gift
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. present — there

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