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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: stand · pop · bat · wave · key · ball · cabinet · stem

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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