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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. object — an aim
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. object — to protest
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — there
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. mug — a face
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitch — a sports field

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