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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fine — all right
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tube — a container
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ground — the earth
  24. deal — an agreement

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