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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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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 · club · deal · rock · mouse · dip · fall

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. club — a group
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for golf

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