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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 116 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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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 · pass · march · deal · dip · game · kid · band

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. march — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. game — wild animals
  6. dip — to sink
  7. deal — to handle
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — the month
  10. kid — child
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — a match
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kid — to tease
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. march — the month
  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