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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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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: firm · pitch · stem · pound · club · wake · current · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pound — a weight
  4. firm — a company
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — happening now
  8. fine — all right
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — to come from
  16. club — for dancing
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — a group
  19. current — electric
  20. firm — steady
  21. current — of water
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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