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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: cabinet · ground · pitcher · mate · bat · stand · stem · tube

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — a container
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ground — crushed

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