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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: pitch · face · ruler · kick · row · stem

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to confront
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pitch — completely
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. row — a line
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — of a plant

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