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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
468
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: chest · stem · track · bulb · pitch · shower · pit · court

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chest — a box
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. shower — rain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of law
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a path
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a song

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