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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — a thing
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stem — a stem cell

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