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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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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: deal · band · fine · sharp · stick · pitcher · stem · track

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fine — high quality
  6. band — a ring
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. track — to keep track
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. track — a song
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fine — all right
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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