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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · spring · cell · stick · rock · trunk · firm · board

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. firm — a company
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — the season
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — a committee
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. spring — of water
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — a coil

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