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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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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 · cap · mark · chest · fork · rush · suit

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cap — of ice
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chest — of your body

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