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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — farmland
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — to spend time

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