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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: chip · march · stem · wake · mark · mug · ground · craft

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — to rob
  12. march — music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mark — a grade
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chip — for betting
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — a position
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — boats
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — a face
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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