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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · pitch · stem · pit · roll · squash · rock · bark

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rock — music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — the sport
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. squash — to crush
  22. can — to be able to
  23. roll — a list
  24. squash — the vegetable

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