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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: root · stem · bark · bulb · nail · pop · mate · pitcher

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — soda
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — to come from
  24. nail — for a hammer

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