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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: pitch · track · stem · toast · perch · can · kick · spring

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. toast — bread
  10. perch — the fish
  11. can — to be able to
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — to come from
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — a path
  22. spring — of water
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. can — a tin

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