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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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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: suit · stem · clip · pitch · field · dip · staff · current

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — electric
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stem — to come from
  10. current — of water
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. current — happening now
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. field — a subject
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — completely
  19. dip — to sink
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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