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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: snap · spell · net · stem · court · bass · pass · swing

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — of law
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spell — letters
  7. swing — music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — after costs
  11. bass — low music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to click
  17. net — for catching
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — in sport
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pass — to succeed

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