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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: pitcher · foot · capital · spell · mug · stem · nail · current

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — magic
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. capital — a city
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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