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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rule — government
  7. track — a path
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — a company
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — a law
  20. stem — to come from
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — decided
  24. arm — a part of something

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