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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. date — the fruit
  7. swing — music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. current — electric
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cue — a hint
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — for pool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. date — on the calendar

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