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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rule — government
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rule — a law
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air

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