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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chip — to eat
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — to come from
  6. swing — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stand — to bear
  21. date — the fruit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. swing — to play on

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