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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: stem · pitch · trunk · bark · net · chip · lash · pit

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stem — to come from
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitch — completely
  10. net — for catching
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bark — to shout
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lash — to lash out

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