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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: stick · stem · deal · toast · pitch · squash · bank · charge

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. toast — bread
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — in control

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