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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: pass · season · stem · court · board · racket · trunk · craft

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. court — of a king
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. court — of law
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. court — for sport

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