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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 120 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: content · racket · fan · pitch · mate · bay · pop · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. content — the amount
  24. racket — a loud noise

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