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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 116 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: lie · bat · object · racket · stem · stock · perch · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — shares
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — an aim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bat — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. object — to protest
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cell — in biology
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stock — goods
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — a loud noise

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