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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: ground · cue · spring · bat · stem · firm · stand · mate

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. spring — the season
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ground — a position
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a friend

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