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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: mouse · stem · game · bore · pitcher · rock · mate · clip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — to cut
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — music
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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