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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · cue · stem · trunk · ground · leaves · bay · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — a position
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stem — to come from
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ground — the earth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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