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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: stem · row · cell · pitch · bowl · rock

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. 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