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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: pop · pitch · stick · wake · pitcher · mark · stem · ground

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pop — soda
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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