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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rash — a series
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chip — for betting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kid — child
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. patient — a sick person

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