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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: stem · pit · game · bark · leaves · bay · mine · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. game — a match
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stem — to come from

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