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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. chair — a leader
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rule — government
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rule — a law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pop — soda
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. deal — an agreement

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