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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 120 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: rock · tube · present · bowl · stem · wake · season · pit

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. present — the time now
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tube — the underground
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. season — in sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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