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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: present · mug · wind · stem · bat · game · branch · stand

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a match
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — there
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bat — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — the time now
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — a gift
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mug — to rob
  24. game — wild animals

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