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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. race — the arms race
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — humankind
  11. pop — soda
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pop — music
  22. race — a contest
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — a stick

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