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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: stem · pound · ruler · pitch · land · bay · key · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitch — completely
  9. land — a country
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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