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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — a division
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. perch — for a bird

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