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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. swing — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bass — the fish
  10. club — for dancing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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