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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: pitch · suit · arm · cell · season · stem · spring · tube

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. tube — a container
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stem — to come from

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