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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: pitcher · dip · last · foot · can · mate · drill · stem

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. drill — army training
  4. last — final
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mate — a partner
  17. last — finally
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — to go on
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. drill — a practice

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