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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a friend
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. shower — to wash
  7. field — for sport
  8. swing — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. field — farmland
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rock — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. swing — to play on
  16. field — a subject
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — to come from
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mate — a partner

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