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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — thin
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wind — moving air

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