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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — goods
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. field — for sport
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. stock — shares
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. squash — the vegetable

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