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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — to get on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — for a computer

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