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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. present — there
  15. swing — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to click
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitcher — a jug

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