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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · pit · stem · pitcher · wake · racket · current · roll

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — electric
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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