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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — a skill
  16. field — for sport
  17. pop — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — to come from
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — shares

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