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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: craft · pit · net · game · bore · pitcher · stem · cap

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — to drill
  12. net — in sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to tire

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