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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — a thing
  9. swing — in golf
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stand — to bear
  18. object — an aim
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. clip — a video
  24. date — on the calendar

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