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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 120 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: mouse · pitcher · stick · kid · pop · cue · track · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — soda
  4. kid — to tease
  5. track — a song
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — child
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — to visit

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