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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: swing · rest · deal · saw · stem · stock · pass · calf

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — to play on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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