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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 120 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: object · suit · court · hand · lean · spell · pitcher · stem

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. court — of a king
  4. object — a thing
  5. lean — to bend
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. lean — thin
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — for sport
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stem — to come from
  21. court — of law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — a short time

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