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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — happening now
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. current — of water
  12. mate — to breed
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — to play on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. swing — music
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitch — completely
  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