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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — clever
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rash — on the skin

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