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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tear — to rip
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. track — a song
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tear — from crying
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bark — of a tree

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