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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: squash · stick · game · stem · tube · toast · saw · swing

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. swing — in golf
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — to play on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. squash — the sport
  19. toast — bread
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. swing — music
  24. stem — to come from

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