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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — a video
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — to bear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. deal — to handle

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