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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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