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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · tube · net · craft · squash · drill · stem · bark

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — to shout
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — a container
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. net — for catching
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stem — a stem cell

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