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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · stem · mug · ball · wax · toast · capital · pitcher

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a great time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mug — a cup
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — boats
  24. mug — a face

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