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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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Word bank
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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: fine · mug · stem · swing · ball · suit · season · staff

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — a face
  6. swing — in golf
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — all right
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fine — high quality
  13. suit — in cards
  14. staff — a stick
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — in sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — to rob
  24. staff — employees

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