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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mark · racket · perch · stem · pitcher · mine · pass · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — a grade
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stem — to come from
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — to spend time

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