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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — to come from
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — high quality
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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