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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: rush · cell · bay · club · stem · racket · drill · mouse

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — hurry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. club — a group
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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