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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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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 · lash · current · chip · racket · stick · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. current — happening now
  4. pop — soda
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — to eat
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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