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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rule — a law
  10. spring — the season
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spring — a coil

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