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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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — tied together
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. rule — a law
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — to come from
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. can — a tin

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