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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cue — for pool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. field — for sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. temple — side of the head

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