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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — before a funeral

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