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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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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. field — a subject
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — a price

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