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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 116 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: rash · pitcher · fall · mark · mug · stem · net · mate

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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. stem — to come from
  4. mark — a trace
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. net — for catching
  9. fall — the season
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a face
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a partner

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