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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: bark · fine · bank · bound · squash · lash · stem · pitch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fine — all right
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. stem — a stem cell

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