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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spring — a coil
  3. date — the fruit
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spring — of water
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — the season
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. roll — a list
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — a cake
  24. foot — the bottom

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