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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 · fork · file · ground · pitcher · firm · stem · coach

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fork — in a road
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. firm — decided
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — the earth
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. firm — steady
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a tool

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