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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — child
  8. chest — a box
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — to move gently

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