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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — certain
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bound — obliged
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — in a road
  8. march — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — a company
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — decided
  20. present — there
  21. stem — to come from
  22. club — for golf
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — to shout

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