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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. squash — the sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitch — completely
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spring — the season
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — a coil

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