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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 116 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 · suit · pound · kid · shower · stem

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pound — a weight
  3. suit — clothes
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kid — child
  15. shower — rain
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. swing — to play on
  18. shower — to wash

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