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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kid — to tease
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — soda
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. race — humankind
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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