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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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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: stem · net · staff · fan · cap · pitch · band · craft

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. cap — a hat
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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