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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cap — a lid
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — in cards
  21. march — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — of a plant

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