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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: file · pitch · ruler · cap · dip · stem

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a hat
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. file — a tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a document
  18. pitch — a sports field

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