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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: pitch · fine · jam · object · saw · stem · dip · cell

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fine — all right
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fine — high quality
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — to sink

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