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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: pitch · stem · bound · row · roll · bark · branch · rest

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — a break
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bound — certain
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stem — to come from
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a line
  22. pitch — completely
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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