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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: pitch · mate · degree · fork · pass · leaves · bat · stem

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — to breed

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