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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — of a word
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — the cause
  21. field — for sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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