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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — a face
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — to come from
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spring — of water
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a hint

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