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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to click
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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