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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: stem · arm · bat · fine · firm · pitcher · fall · suit

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. firm — decided
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — high quality
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — all right
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — steady
  24. suit — to fit

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