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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 116 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: firm · straw · pitch · bear · trunk · season · stem · drill

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitch — completely
  10. drill — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. firm — decided
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. drill — army training

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