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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: net · bass · bear · stem · racket · pass · craft · tear

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — to come from
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bass — the instrument

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