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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. capital — a city
  11. squash — the sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. swing — to play on
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. band — a music group
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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