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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: dip · stem · can · pitch · perch · deal · stock · spell

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — goods
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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