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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: stem · kick · jam · staff · trunk · firm · pitch · bulb

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. firm — decided
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — a company
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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