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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. row — to paddle
  3. suit — to fit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — clothes
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  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