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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 · cue · object · band · bat · craft · cabinet · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — the sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. stem — to come from
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. bat — the animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. band — a rubber band

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