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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 · craft · racket · roll · cap · stem · mug · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. craft — a skill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. roll — a cake
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mug — a cup
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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