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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 opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. firm — decided
  6. date — the fruit
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bulb — for light
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. roll — a list

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