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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — steady
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — completely
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. current — happening now
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

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