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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 124 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. snap — to click
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. march — music
  13. board — to get on
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — humankind
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — the month
  19. race — a contest
  20. toast — bread
  21. race — the arms race
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. board — a committee
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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