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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — a measure
  13. season — in sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — high quality

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