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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: bark · stem · wound · craft · rock · object · present · club

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. object — an aim
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rock — music
  6. club — a group
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. object — a thing
  11. rock — a stone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. club — for golf
  14. wound — an injury
  15. craft — boats
  16. present — there
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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