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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: date · stem · rock · saw · rash · chest · pitch · land

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chest — a box
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. land — ground
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — music
  19. land — to come down
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. land — a country

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