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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fine · club · straw · pitcher · mate · dip · mouse

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — to come from
  3. club — for golf
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — a group
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fine — a penalty

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