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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — the season
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — a song
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — high quality

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