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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. field — a subject
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — for sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — a division
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. tube — the underground

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