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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 120 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: lean · fork · stem · ruler · pitch · land · bay · shower

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — a country
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. shower — rain

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