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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — there
  4. season — in sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. suit — clothes
  7. present — the time now
  8. track — a song
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — to fit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stem — to come from
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. present — a gift
  24. track — a path

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