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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: stick · pitch · deal · mark · ball · stem · staff · chair

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — to handle
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — a trace
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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