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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. rash — hasty
  17. file — a document
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — a series
  24. march — music

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