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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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