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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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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: season · cap · perch · chip · racket · stem · cue · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cap — a lid
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. perch — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. season — of the year
  23. stem — to come from
  24. racket — a loud noise

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