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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: mate · stem · nail · fork · suit · fan · pitch · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mate — a partner
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mate — a friend
  24. suit — to fit

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