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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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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: calf · pitch · stem · stand · dip · bark · mine · present

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — to sink
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. present — the time now
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. present — there
  24. bark — to shout

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