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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — the earth
  3. roll — a list
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ground — a position
  9. roll — a cake
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — to come from
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — to eat
  24. roll — on a roll

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