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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: march · track · stem · pitcher · mouse · mate · cabinet · deal

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — a partner
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — a song
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. track — a path
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — the animal
  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