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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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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: pitch · deal · swing · rock · stem · land · pass · object

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — ground
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — to protest
  15. swing — in golf
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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