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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pop — soda
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fine — all right
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — of a word
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. root — the cause
  23. staff — a stick
  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