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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: game · fan · stem · racket · cold · rock · toast · jam

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rock — music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — a stone
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — to move gently

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