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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. suit — in cards
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stem — to come from
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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