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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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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: can · hand · suit · stem · cue · racket · bear · pop

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hand — help
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. can — a tin

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