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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: snap · cell · fan · pit · pitcher · net · stem · cap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cap — a hat
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cell — in biology
  7. snap — to click
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — a lid
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — a jug

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