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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: nail · lie · tube · fork · pitch · pop · stem · kid

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kid — child
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — to recline
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fork — in a road

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