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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: roll · stem · bay · saw · racket · foot · charge · kid

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. charge — a price
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kid — to tease
  8. charge — electricity
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. charge — in control
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. racket — for tennis

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