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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: mark · stem · spring · firm · file · pitcher · tube · arm

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mark — a trace
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stem — to come from
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — steady
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. firm — a company

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