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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: racket · face · stem · perch · ground · bat · bear · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ground — a position
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. face — to confront

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