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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — completely
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — for betting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chip — in a computer

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