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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: squash · content · pitch · stem · lash · stock · firm · patient

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — goods
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — the sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. firm — decided
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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