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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 120 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: chip · stem · foot · bark · coach · drill · club · pound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — to eat
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bark — to shout
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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