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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 116 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: stock · lash · stem · club · pitch · ball · face · ground

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stock — goods
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stock — shares
  7. face — to point toward
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — a position
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — of a plant

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