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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 120 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
468
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: staff · prune · kick · pitcher · bat · current · cell · rock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — in football
  6. bat — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. current — of water
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rock — music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. current — electric
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — happening now
  23. cell — in biology
  24. prune — to trim

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