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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: roll · racket · kick · stand · saw · stem · cell · fine

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. roll — a list
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stand — to bear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. racket — for tennis

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