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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — to come from

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