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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — of water
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — happening now
  10. swing — to play on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. swing — music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — for dogs

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