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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — to shout
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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