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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: wave · pitcher · bark · wake · stem · bowl · ground · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — a country

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