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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: arm · stem · rash · swing · net · mate · season · rock

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. season — in sport
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. season — of the year
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — hasty
  12. swing — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. net — after costs
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — for catching

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