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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 · stem · pop · track · pit · clip · lean · bowl

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — a song
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — thin
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. clip — a video
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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