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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: game · face · stem · mate · ruler · kick · pitch · fine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fine — all right
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ruler — a monarch

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