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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 120 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: racket · swing · deal · content · kick · stem · present · bass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — happy
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — a gift
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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