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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — high quality
  8. swing — to play on
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — electric
  14. fine — all right
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — music

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