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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lean — thin
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bass — low music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — a container
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — a company
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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