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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.

Words on the sheet
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: season · racket · present · toast · stem · kick · bound · game

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — to come from
  8. season — in sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. season — of the year
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. present — the time now
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bound — obliged
  16. game — wild animals
  17. toast — bread
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a match
  21. present — a gift
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bound — tied together
  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