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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: straw · game · stem · band · object · pitch · deal · file

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. file — a document
  4. deal — to handle
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitch — completely
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. object — to protest
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. band — a music group
  13. file — a tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. object — a thing
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stem — to come from
  24. game — a match

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