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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — final
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. degree — temperature
  9. squash — the sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. last — finally
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. stem — to come from
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — a song

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