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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 120 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: racket · stick · perch · stand · capital · stem · bat · saw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. capital — a city
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. capital — money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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