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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.

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: lean · bark · ruler · stem · mine · bass · fork · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. mine — an explosive

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