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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rush — hurry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. swing — music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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