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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pop — soda
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pop — music
  18. stem — to come from

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