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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: stem · cabinet · swing · club · perch · dip · racket · chest

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. club — a group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. swing — in golf
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — a box
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chest — of your body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. club — for golf
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for dancing

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