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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: squash · cap · tube · fork · fan · pass · mate · stem

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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