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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — of a king
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — of a word
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — boats
  24. court — for sport

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