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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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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: mug · pitch · stem · wave · mouse · racket · lie · spell

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — letters
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — a short time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stem — to come from

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