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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — for catching
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. date — the fruit

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