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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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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: wind · cue · firm · pit · stem · pitcher · trunk · drill

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. drill — army training
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. firm — a company
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stem — to come from

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