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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: mug · ground · pitcher · wax · can · band · stem · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mug — a face
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. band — a ring
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stem — of a plant

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