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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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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: content · mate · fine · wave · racket · leaves · swing · stem

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. swing — to play on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — to breed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fine — high quality
  12. content — happy
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — lets stay

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