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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. field — a subject
  18. stem — to come from

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