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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: last · mate · net · bat · stick · rock · stem · bay

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mate — a friend
  4. net — for catching
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bat — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. net — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. net — after costs
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a partner

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