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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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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: bark · snap · pitcher · scale · leaves · stem · hide · track

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — a song

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