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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: firm · trunk · field · object · kick · staff · stick · bowl

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — in football
  5. object — a thing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. field — farmland
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — to protest
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — decided
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — an aim

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