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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: rock · stem · spell · pitcher · ball · snap · suit · stand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spell — letters
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a great time
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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