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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · stand · club · rock · rest · stem

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — a stone
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. rest — a break
  12. swing — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stem — to come from

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