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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — of the year
  20. cap — a lid
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rash — a series

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