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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 116 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 · object · squash · stem · stand · cap · hide · pitch

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rest — a break
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — a lid
  24. squash — the sport

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