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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: bound · stem · bear · hand · deal · club · swing · cap

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cap — of ice
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. cap — a hat
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — music

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