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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. ground — crushed
  11. land — ground
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. land — to come down
  16. track — to keep track
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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