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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. roll — a list
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. roll — a cake
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bound — tied together
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bound — certain
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ruler — for measuring

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