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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a document
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — in cards

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