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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: ground · shower · fork · can · stem · pitch · swing · straw

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — in a road
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — to wash
  9. can — a tin
  10. shower — rain
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. swing — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — a position
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fork — a garden tool
  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