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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. band — a ring
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. craft — a skill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  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