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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: bank · field · court · saw · pop · stem · swing · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. bank — of a river
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. court — of a king
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — in golf
  16. court — of law
  17. bank — for money
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — for sport
  20. field — for sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — to play on

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