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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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