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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — there
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stock — goods
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a line
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fall — to drop
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chest — a box
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. suit — in cards
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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