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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 116 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 · stand · stem · game · trunk · bat · key · tube

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — a container
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bat — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tube — the underground
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stem — to come from

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