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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: capital · stem · foot · present · jam · pitch · hide · bore

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — to come from
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — a city
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — money
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — a gift
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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