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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — boats
  17. tube — a container
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. capital — money
  24. bark — of a tree

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