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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: spring · rash · pitch · stem · rock · mine · firm · spell

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — decided
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. spell — magic
  11. firm — steady
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — the season
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spell — letters
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — music

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