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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — happening now
  11. perch — the fish
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — electric
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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