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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: pitch · prune · race · suit · stand · stem · fan · saw

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. saw — the tool

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