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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: stem · wind · mug · nail · pitcher · mark · band · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. band — a ring
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mug — a face
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. band — a music group
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — a stem cell

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