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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — to come from
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. deal — an agreement

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