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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: sharp · season · kick · stem · pitcher · pit · jam · stock

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — of the year
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — clever
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pit — in a race
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stem — of a plant

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