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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. net — for catching
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. scale — in music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tube — the underground
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. scale — for weighing

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