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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: pop · cap · branch · object · stem · toast · bark · saw

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 — to come from
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — a lid
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. object — a thing
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — an aim
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. toast — bread
  20. pop — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pop — to visit
  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