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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 120 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: leaves · pitch · stem · fan · root · pop · snap · pitcher

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — to visit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. root — of a word
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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