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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
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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: pitcher · rush · land · hide · date · stem · straw · racket

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — to come down
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — the fruit
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — animal skin

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