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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · pitch · sharp · squash · craft · season · hand · tube

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. craft — a skill
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — clever
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. tube — the underground

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