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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rest — what's left
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ground — the earth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. swing — in golf
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — a break

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