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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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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 · pitcher · stem · bark · race · wound · rock · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — to visit
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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