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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — to shout

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