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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cap — a lid
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mug — a face
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — completely

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