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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: cabinet · bass · stem · cap · snap · tube · pitcher · bore

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cap — a lid
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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