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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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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: prune · stem · firm · mark · bay · chip · squash · pitch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — to crush
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bay — a horse colour

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