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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: bank · kick · stem · pitch · pass · straw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — a permit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kick — in football
  18. stem — a stem cell

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