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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kick — in football
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. row — a line
  24. stem — of a plant

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