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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — goods
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — shares
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitch — completely

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