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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. club — a group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. club — for golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — letters
  24. bark — of a tree

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