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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · pitch · bulb · band · mark · stock · date · stem

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — goods
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. band — a ring
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a rubber band

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