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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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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: racket · mine · bore · stem · pitcher · cabinet · swing · bass

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bass — the fish

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