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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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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: capital · stick · mate · leaves · file · stem · fork · pitch

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. capital — money
  10. mate — to breed
  11. file — a tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a document
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — a city

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