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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spell — letters
  8. hand — help
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. craft — boats
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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