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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 116 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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