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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the sport
  3. net — in sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. net — after costs
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. net — for catching
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — a partner

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