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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · field · board · stem · swing · clip · pop · tube

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. clip — to cut
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — to get on
  19. swing — music
  20. field — for sport
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. clip — a video

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