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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — the underground
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tube — a container

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