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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — clothes
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cell — a phone
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. present — the time now
  24. stem — a stem cell

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