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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. spell — magic
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — a short time
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — to come from

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