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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stem — to come from

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