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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: net · stem · pitcher · staff · club · fine · march · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — for golf
  11. staff — a stick
  12. march — music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. club — a group
  17. fine — high quality
  18. net — in sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pitcher — a jug

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