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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. march — the month
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — the amount
  22. ground — a position
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — to come from

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