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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — shares
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a dance
  12. race — the arms race
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — a contest
  15. stock — goods
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — for a lock
  19. race — humankind
  20. march — the month
  21. key — in music
  22. march — music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ball — a great time

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