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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fork — in a road
  10. press — to push
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — music
  13. march — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — electric
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. march — the month
  20. current — happening now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fork — a garden tool

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