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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 116 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: stem · pitcher · dip · spring · stand · spell · mug · court

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — to come from
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — letters
  8. court — of law
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of a king
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — to bear

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