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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hand — help
  5. club — for dancing
  6. swing — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. firm — decided
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mug — a face
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — steady
  14. spring — the season
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — to play on
  18. firm — a company
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. club — for golf
  23. spring — of water
  24. hand — part of the body

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