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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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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: bowl · band · pitch · fall · date · stem · cabinet · ruler

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fall — the season
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a ring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitch — completely

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