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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: board · track · racket · stem · court · arm · toast · pop

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — to keep track
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a committee
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. track — a song
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. arm — a part of something

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