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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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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: pit · net · roll · bulb · stem · press · nail · trunk

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — in sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — a list
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — to push
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of a tree

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