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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: craft · mouse · club · bat · present · bark · deal · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. present — the time now
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — boats
  21. club — for golf
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — for dancing
  24. deal — an agreement

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