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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — a box
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. face — to confront
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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