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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · staff · bass · pitcher · wax · ground · plane · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — low music
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — crushed
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ground — the earth
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ground — a position
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fine — a penalty

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