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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. deal — to handle
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — of water
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stem — a stem cell

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