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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 120 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: stem · chest · ground · saw · plane · pitch · suit · rush

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ground — a position
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chest — a box
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stem — of a plant

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