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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. object — an aim
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — hasty
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rash — a series
  20. object — a thing
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fork — a garden tool

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