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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. race — a contest
  20. craft — boats
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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