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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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: squash · deal · bank · bark · pitcher · stem · chair · spell

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — letters
  5. stem — to come from
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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