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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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