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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. content — the amount
  3. swing — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — to come from
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. club — a group
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — temperature
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. degree — from a university

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