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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cue — a hint
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — to recline
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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