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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. firm — decided
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — to come from
  12. firm — steady
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — to bear
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. content — happy

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