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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitch — completely
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. sharp — clever
  16. press — to push
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stock — shares
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. dip — to sink

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