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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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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: mark · bear · stem · ruler · band · fine · straw · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stem — to come from
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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