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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: ruler · wax · pitch · bark · bowl · date · cue · stem

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — for measuring

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