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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: stem · fork · lean · pass · pitch · last · roll · firm

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. firm — steady
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — a list
  9. lean — thin
  10. last — to go on
  11. firm — decided
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. last — final
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — in a road
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitch — completely

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