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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. object — a thing
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bark — to shout
  14. craft — boats
  15. cell — in biology
  16. drill — army training
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — an aim

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