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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. net — after costs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. face — to confront
  6. bass — the fish
  7. net — in sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — completely
  10. club — for golf
  11. charge — in control
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — a group
  15. face — part of the head
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bass — low music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — electricity

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