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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: rock · stem · trunk · net · pitcher · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rock — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — to come from
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mug — to rob
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs

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