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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: nail · stick · mug · stand · mark · bat · stem · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. rock — music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mug — a face
  19. stand — to bear
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — a grade
  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