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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: stem · bowl · tube · net · snap · current · pound · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tube — a container
  3. stem — to come from
  4. net — for catching
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. net — in sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — happening now
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. net — after costs
  19. snap — to click
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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