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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. press — to push
  12. track — a song
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a great time
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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