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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: pitcher · bass · lash · chest · kid · track · stem · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chest — a box
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chest — of your body

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