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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. firm — steady
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — to get on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spring — the season
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. firm — decided
  24. rest — a break

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