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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: bat · stem · wake · roll · firm · object · swing · board

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. object — an aim
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. object — a thing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wake — a trail
  16. roll — a cake
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bat — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. roll — a list
  24. object — to protest

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