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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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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: bear · net · game · stand · ball · fine · pitcher · stem

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. net — in sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — a match
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. net — after costs
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a round shape

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