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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 116 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 · pass · scale · band · pitch · mine · fan · cabinet

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — for digging
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a ring
  24. pass — to succeed

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