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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — to come down
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. land — ground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — a country
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cap — of ice

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