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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: file · mark · stand · last · stem · cue · lean · pitch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. last — finally
  17. lean — thin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — to come from
  24. last — final

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