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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.

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: ground · mark · pitcher · stem · racket · bowl · cabinet · stand

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — a position
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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