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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: ruler · rush · pit · bark · stem · dip · bowl · trunk

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — hurry
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. dip — a sauce

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