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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. degree — an amount
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. staff — a stick
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — clothes
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a committee

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