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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — the sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — to come from
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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