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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lean — thin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ground — the earth

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