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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · pitcher · pit · march · fan · stem · saw · rash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. march — the month
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — a series
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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