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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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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: rule · stem · vault · bark · deal · race · land · pitch

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitch — completely
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. race — a contest
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — government
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stem — to come from
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — humankind
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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