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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — to come from
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — to handle

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