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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — in music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitch — completely
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — thin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a path
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. craft — a skill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. craft — boats

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