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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: band · cap · ground · calf · ruler · jam · pitcher · stem

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ground — a position
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ground — the earth
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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