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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cold — an illness

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