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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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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: rest · bat · club · stem · ball · jam · firm · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — a break
  5. firm — steady
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ball — a dance
  18. club — a group
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. club — for golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — of a plant

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