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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.

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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: pitch · plane · stem · face · staff · cue · bark · perch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — to confront
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bark — to shout
  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