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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — completely
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. squash — the vegetable

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