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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 116 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: stem · trunk · mark · cue · mouse · pitcher · object · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — for pool
  24. object — a thing

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