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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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — all right
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. can — a tin

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