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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pop — music
  8. club — a group
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — the season
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spring — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for golf
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. snap — to click

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