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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · fork · stem · lie · cabinet · chair · ruler · pitcher

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fork — in a road
  10. net — for catching
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. net — after costs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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