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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fork — in a road
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — a group
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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