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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — clever
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — size or range
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — after costs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — to shout
  19. date — the fruit
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. stem — to come from

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