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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: stem · patient · bark · pit · bank · cell · toast · race

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — humankind
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. toast — bread
  24. race — a contest

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