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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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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: leaves · bound · racket · stem · rest · fine · bat · can

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rest — a break
  21. can — to be able to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — obliged
  24. racket — a loud noise

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