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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — completely
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rule — a law
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — government
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — a song
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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