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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: drill · wind · pass · stock · pound · pitcher · mate · stem

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stem — to come from

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