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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: pitcher · pit · press · hand · field · pass · hide · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. field — farmland
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — in a race
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — help

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