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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: pitcher · charge · stem · pitch · deal · degree · track · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. deal — to handle
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — to come from

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