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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — of water
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of a king
  20. stem — to come from
  21. court — of law
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. racket — for tennis

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