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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. craft — boats
  20. shower — rain
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — on the calendar

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