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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — a country
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — all right
  13. land — to come down
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rule — government
  23. bank — for money
  24. land — ground

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