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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: stem · mate · wave · date · stand · can · mouse · bat

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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