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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — letters
  5. drill — army training
  6. spell — magic
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. current — happening now
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — in golf
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — part of the body

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