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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: tube · ground · patient · stem · plane · fork · game · pitch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — a container
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — a position
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a match
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stem — to come from
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. game — a kind of play

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