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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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