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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: ground · stem · net · nail · rule · wax · cap · stand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — crushed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — in sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — after costs
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stem — of a plant

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