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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. swing — music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. swing — in golf

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