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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — the time now
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a path
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — there
  14. swing — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. track — a song
  24. stem — to come from

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