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

Word bank: stem · bound · trunk · cue · saw · deal · scale · bark

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cue — a signal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cue — a hint
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — in music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — obliged
  23. trunk — of a car
  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