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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — money
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. capital — a city
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rest — a break

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