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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wake — a trail
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — magic
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — a short time
  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