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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 120 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
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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: pit · pop · bound · stem · pitch · game · snap · trunk

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — obliged
  11. game — a match
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitch — completely
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — soda
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pit — in a race
  24. snap — to click

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