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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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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: stem · pitcher · game · bay · wave · trunk · shower · racket

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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