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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pitch — completely
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mate — a partner
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. net — in sport
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a dance
  18. net — after costs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — obliged
  24. arm — part of the body

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