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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: bark · nail · last · pitch · stem · dip · vault · suit

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. vault — a safe
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. last — finally
  17. bark — to shout
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. last — final
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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