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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: land · stick · kick · can · arm · toast · stem · pitcher

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — in football
  21. land — a country
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. toast — bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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