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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — a law
  5. rock — music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — in golf
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — dry grass

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