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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: cap · stem · mouse · degree · branch · wound · band · pitcher

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — to come from
  6. band — a music group
  7. degree — temperature
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — a division
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mouse — the animal

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