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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: arm · roll · perch · racket · cap · stem · press · mate

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. press — to push
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — a lid
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — of ice
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — the fish
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. roll — a list
  21. press — a publisher
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — newspapers

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