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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: stem · pop · net · pitcher · wake · dip · mark · lie

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pop — soda
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — for catching
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — in sport
  21. pop — music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a trace

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