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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. board — a committee
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — a series
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — a video
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — to get on
  24. fan — a supporter

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