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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 116 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: pitch · band · field · stem · ruler · rock · straw · suit

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — for sport
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. field — farmland
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. suit — to fit

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