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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 · hand · drill · content · squash · pass · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — to come from
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — happy
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — in cards
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. content — the amount
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pass — a permit
  22. drill — army training
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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