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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: leaves · saw · stem · pitch · prune · pitcher · roll · bear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. roll — a list
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. prune — to trim

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