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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a line
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wound — an injury
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ruler — a monarch

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