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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kid — child
  21. deal — to handle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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