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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · racket · rush · jam · scale · stem · fall · mug

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rush — hurry
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — the season
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — in traffic

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