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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stem · ball · cue · pitcher · land · bowl · dip · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — a hint
  21. land — to come down
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — a country

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