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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — to get on
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. board — a committee
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. swing — to play on
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — the sport
  16. shower — rain
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a dance

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