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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: tube · spell · stem · ball · lean · pitch · suit · nail

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — magic
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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