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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: stem · spell · pass · kick · scale · spring · game · pitcher

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spring — of water
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kick — in football
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — a stem cell

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