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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — ground
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — a face
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — to come down
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. prune — the fruit

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