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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: rock · stem · bound · file · bear · fine · trunk · pitcher

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — a stone
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. bound — certain
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. file — a tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fine — all right

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