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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: cue · plane · saw · pitch · spring · stem · hand · pit

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cue — a hint
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spring — of water
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. plane — a tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cue — for pool

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