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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: drill · ground · fork · rock · kick · stem · pitcher · firm

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ground — the earth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — a position
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rock — music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — steady

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