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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitch — completely
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — a hole
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. net — in sport

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