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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: season · deal · stem · ground · pop · wind · stick · craft

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — of the year
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — a position
  18. season — in sport
  19. pop — music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stem — to come from

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