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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: shower · rock · stem · field · board · object · net · racket

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rock — a stone
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — a committee
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — for tennis

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