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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — in a road
  4. firm — a company
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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