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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: season · pop · stem · wound · bass · charge · dip · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. dip — to sink
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — of the year
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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