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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: stick · net · pitcher · snap · stem · rock · object · straw

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to click
  22. object — to protest
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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