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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 · cue · mug · bark · pitcher · mark · root · drill

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cue — for pool
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. drill — army training
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — to rob
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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