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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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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: lash · content · stem · branch · snap · season · game · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — the amount
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. game — a match
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. content — happy
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — wild animals
  24. season — in sport

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