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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: rest · field · date · stem · pitch · bank · capital · fork

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. capital — a city
  3. field — farmland
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — a break
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — a subject
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. field — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. date — the fruit

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