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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pound — a weight
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. row — a line
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. squash — to crush
  24. row — to paddle

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