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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — shares
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stock — goods

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