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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 120 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: suit · mate · clip · drill · bass · stem · mouse · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bass — the fish
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — army training
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. clip — a video
  23. stem — of a plant
  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