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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 · pitch · stem · race · club · stock · pop · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. pitch — completely
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. club — for golf
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — soda
  22. club — a group
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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