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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.

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: present · deal · date · wax · tube · stem · kick · pitcher

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — to grow
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. date — the fruit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — for sculpting

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