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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · pitch · fall · kick · stem · pitcher

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — a law
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rule — government
  18. pitcher — a jug

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