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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: present · staff · stem · wound · temple · perch · mouse · pitch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. present — a gift
  9. staff — employees
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stem — to come from
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — completely
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  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