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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — finally
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spring — the season
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stand — for spectators

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