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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — in a race
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. ground — a position
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. toast — bread
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. field — farmland
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. object — an aim
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitch — completely

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