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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · stand · shower · bark · plane · bay · prune · pitcher

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — to bear
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — rain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. plane — a tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. prune — to trim

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