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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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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: mine · racket · wake · perch · stand · chip · pound · stem

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — to bear
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — a weight
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chip — to eat

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