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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 116 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: pit · chair · stem · rash · bat · cap · pitcher · sharp

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rash — a series
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — hasty
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitcher — a jug

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