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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 120 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: land · racket · board · stem · saw · suit · pit · foot

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — ground
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — a committee
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. suit — in cards
  17. board — to get on
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — to come down
  21. stem — to come from
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — clothes

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