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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. band — a music group
  5. rash — hasty
  6. roll — a list
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rash — a series
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stem — of a plant

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