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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: pitcher · branch · mark · stem · leaves · mug · ground · wake

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — a position
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stem — of a plant

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