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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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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: swing · pitch · firm · wake · pit · deal · stem · pitcher

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — in golf
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pit — in a race
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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