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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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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: rush · vault · pitch · content · lean · deal · stand · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — thin
  5. content — happy
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — to handle
  23. content — the amount
  24. rush — hurry

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