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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a line
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — low music
  13. fall — the season
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — to come from
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. racket — for tennis

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