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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 116 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 · tear · chip · pitch · court · current · pitcher · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. current — happening now
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — for sport
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tear — to rip
  17. court — of law
  18. current — electric
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — to eat

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