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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · spell · stem · mark · staff · pitch · roll · cabinet

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — a grade
  3. roll — a list
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — employees
  6. roll — a cake
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spell — magic
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. staff — a stick
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kid — to tease

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