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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · toast · stem · hand · mark · pitch · mine · cabinet

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — help
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitch — completely
  24. hand — part of the body

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