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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 120 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: stand · stem · lean · nail · content · court · last · pitch

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. court — for sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. last — final
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. last — finally
  17. court — of law
  18. last — to go on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. court — of a king

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