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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spring — of water
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mark — a grade

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