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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · ball · racket · rash · track · toast · stem · chair

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — bread
  9. object — to protest
  10. track — a song
  11. ball — a dance
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rash — a series
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stem — a stem cell

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