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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 120 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: lie · stem · bark · rule · pitch · land · root · bulb

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. rule — government
  7. land — a country
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — to come from
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. root — of a word
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitch — completely

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