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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bat · jam · prune · coach · stem · lash · press

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — to trim
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. prune — to trim

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