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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. track — a path
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spring — the season
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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