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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: perch · date · game · bat · suit · spring · kick · stem

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. spring — of water
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. game — a match
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bat — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. suit — in cards
  20. date — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — to fit

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