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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 120 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: stem · mug · club · spell · swing · pass · band · fork

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. band — a music group
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — for golf
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. mug — a cup
  14. band — a ring
  15. pass — a permit
  16. club — a group
  17. spell — magic
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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