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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: date · firm · mark · pop · stem · staff · pitcher · temple

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pop — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pop — to visit
  14. date — the fruit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — employees
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — soda
  24. firm — steady

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