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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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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: stem · can · pound · cue · bat · board · racket · pit

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — in a race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. can — a tin

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