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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: tube · pitcher · pitch · lean · kid · stand · stem · hand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kid — child
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stem — to come from
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — thin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tube — a container
  24. kid — to tease

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