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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: pitch · rest · fine · stem · tube · arm · bark · nail

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bark — to shout
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — a container
  14. fine — all right
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rest — a break
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — what's left

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