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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — in cards
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — a company
  8. swing — in golf
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — there
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — the time now

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