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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: ground · saw · stem · season · plane · arm · dip · pitch

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — of the year
  20. pitch — completely
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ground — a position

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