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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: mine · mug · pitcher · coach · bulb · wound · roll · stem

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. roll — a list
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mug — to rob
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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