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

Word bank: pit · kick · game · perch · staff · lean · vault · stem

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. game — wild animals
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pit — a hole
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. game — a match

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