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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bass — low music
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cue — a signal
  8. season — of the year
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. board — a committee
  14. cue — a hint
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — in sport
  18. cold — an illness
  19. swing — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — to add flavour

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