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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: ruler · pitch · club · trunk · ground · stem · bulb · net

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. net — after costs
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — for catching
  7. ground — the earth
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — in sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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