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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: stem · fork · vault · wake · shower · ruler · pitch · mate

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — a friend
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stem — a stem cell

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