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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: tear · object · can · ball · stem · roll · straw · court

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tear — from crying
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. court — of a king
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. court — of law
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tear — from crying
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stem — a stem cell

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