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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — bread
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hand — help

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