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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: stem · kick · pop · swing · hand · perch · pit · bowl

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kick — in football
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stem — a stem cell

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