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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. snap — to click
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. firm — decided
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — in sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — steady
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — for catching

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