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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — for golf
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitch — completely

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