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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bore — to tire
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. race — a contest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — humankind
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. row — a line
  21. stem — to come from
  22. race — the arms race
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — to drill

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