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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.

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: can · chip · racket · bat · bark · season · stem · bowl

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — in sport
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. season — of the year
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chip — to eat

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