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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 120 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: rest · band · game · pitch · stem · foot · plane · leaves

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — to come from
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. band — a music group
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. stem — a stem cell

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