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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rule — government
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rule — a law
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. staff — a stick
  14. present — a gift
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pitch — completely

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