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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: fork · stem · pitch · cap · march · pitcher · firm · ball

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — decided
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. firm — a company
  24. stem — a stem cell

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