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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pit — in a race
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. season — of the year
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — a series
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rash — hasty
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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