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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: leaves · current · pitch · stem · mine · bark · calf · ball

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — happening now
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — of water
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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